Contact



April 19, 1932. I KROGER 1,854,203

CONTACT Filed July 24. 1930 INVENTOR FRED. H. KROGER 7f ATTRNEY was A r. 19,1932

FRED H. KROGER,

oE RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'ro RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A conroEAmoN E DELAWARE n CONTACT Application 'filed July 24, 1930. Serial No. 470,311.

Thisinvention relates to radio apparatus and in particular to a device for holding vacuum tubes in position and for making electrical contact with the prongs on said tubes attached to elements Within said tubes. I

In radio apparatus ofthe above description known heretofore considerable difficulty 'ratus in the prior art are overcome by prohas been encountered due to the fact that the contact making members and the tlfloe base retaining member in use heretofore are not durable in nature and do not'in the firstcase provide a good low resistance contact between the contact members and the plugs on the socket over a period of time nor retain the tube in po'sition'properly. Especially are the above disadvantages present when the apparatus is to be used on aircraft work or in any kind or work in which the radio apparatus including the tubes and contacts is sub j ect to jars and other rough usage.

Another/disadvantage present in apparatus of the above nature lies in the fact that the tube sockets known heretofore are of such design that they require more space than the v outline of the tube base. This is due in part to the structure of the socket and in part to the fact that the connections between the contacts in said base and the circuits associated with said tube are made by way of contact members extending in a direction perpendicular with the axis of the'tube which contact members extend beyond the outline of the tube'base. This is a disadvantage which is veryiundesirable in work as for instance aircraft work where the radio apparatus must be confined to a minimum amount of space.

A further'disadvantage attendant on the use of radio apparatus of the above nature known heretofore. lies in the fact that such apparatus is large and heavy thereby increasing the load necessary for the aircraft to lift.

A further disadvantage present in apparatus known heretofore is due to the. fact The above disadvantages are overcome in accordance with the present invention by the use of a contact member which insures a good connection at four points between the prong v on the tube socket and the contact, which is extremely light in weight and takes up a a minimum amount of space and which retains the tube in position.

More in detail, the above defects in appaviding contact members which comprise a metallic ring, two metallic hairpin shaped6 members each having its free ends soldered or pinned to the metallic ring at pointsspaced on the periphery of said ring. The ring or cylinder may be inserted through a noncarbonizing strip 0 insulation in the desired 5 position and retained therein by spinning down the end of the ring remote from the contac members. The insulation strip may be counter-sunk so that when the ring is spun down it is flush with the surface thereof. i

The connector leading from the contact to the circuit in which the thermionic tube is make contact with the prongs thereon will 8 all be within the area outlined by the tube base.

I In a modification, the. metallic contact members may be set intoa recess in the ring member and pinned therein or hard soldered therein.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for purposesof illustration it should be understood that -various changes may be made in the structure thereof without departing from the splrit and scope of the invention as set forth in'the claim appended hereto. The invention, however, will be better understood by a reading of the following detailed description and therefrom when read in connection with the attached drawings in which Figure 1- shows in perspective a tube socket built up by the use of.contact members as disclosed in the present invention,

' Figure 2 shows a cross section on the line AA of Figure l,

Figure 3 shows a cross section at right angles to the section of Figure 2; While 5 Figure 4 shows a cross section of a modification.

Referring to the drawings and in particular to Figure 1 thereof, 1 indicates a piece of non-carbonizing insulation material which may be part of the radio apparatus or the frame thereof, 2 is a metal ring preferably of brass adapted to be inserted through an opening drilled in the appropriate position in l, 3 is a metallic strip bent in the form of a hairpin and having each end soldered as shown in Figure 2 to the ring 2, 42 is a member similar to 3 except that it is fastened to the ring 2 at right angles With respect to 3 and extends beyond 3 enclosing the member 3 in the outer loop thereof, The members 3 and 4: are retained by means of a metallic ring 5 surrounding said members and rigidly iastened thereto The distance between the of each of the hairpin members 3 and vaies the distance depending on the size of the prong on the tubeyrhich is to be retained thereby with which contact is to be made. The members 8 and 4: are oi resilient m rial and heavy enough to grip the tube rongs tlyu The tube prong on insertion in the 2 is closely gripped the tour side by means at the members 3 and i. Connection between the contact members 3 and 4; de scribed above and the circuits in the radio is by of a con 6 s .dered or pinned as shown to the H one or" the members 3 or 4, preferably to mem ber As Will be apparent from the drawfittings the contacts necessary and the connec- L rs ther to will all be Within the circle outt-he tube of the base. This results in at the tubes may be positioned close toand require lgure 2 which is a cross section along s line AA of Figure l, the manner which i e ring 2 is retained in the opening the ember 1 is illustrated. The ring 2 is in- ..ced in the o ening 7 in the member 1 to a position'at which the shoulder formed by the members 3, 4: and 5 abuts the member L The end 8 of ring 2 is spun down forming a flange projecting out over the member ii This flange Where desired may be made flush with the surface of 1 by counter-sinking the opening 6 in in Figure 4; is shown a modificationwhich is similar in some respects to the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2. llhe arrangement in Figure 3 differs from the arrangement in Figures 1, 2 and 3 in that the ends or" the members 3 and lare placed in recesses 9 in the rin 2 and soldered or pinned therein. 2 Having ully described and illustrated any invention What IL claim is, 3==

esa-nos minimum amount of A light weight socket structure comprising a tubular member adapted to be inserted in ,an opening in an insulating member, said tubular member having a shoulder adapted to "abut one side of said insulating member and and means for making a connection to one of said resilient members.

IBRED KRGGER. 

